Quilts in Modern Color, Book Tour & Giveaway
Don’t you love a good quilting book? Me too! Which is why I’m excited to participate in the book tour for a new release, Quilts In Modern Color by Amber Elliot. I’ve followed Amber at Alderwood Studio for a long time. Her latest book is a beautiful exploration of ombré color palettes and modern quilt design. And, yes, there is was a giveaway for a digital copy of Quilts in Modern Color! Keep reading for details on how to enter. UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed.
Quilts In Modern Color
If you love fabric and color, but you’re not sure how to put it all together in a quilt, you will love everything this book has to offer. It combines a little color theory along with how to use gradients in quilts. It illustrates both of these concepts with beautiful quilt patterns in a range of sizes and skill levels.
First section: tools, techniques, color & gradients
In the first few chapters of the book, Amber shares her favorite tools, fabric recommendations and quilting techniques. I’m always interested to see what other quilters use in their sewing room; and I learn something every time. Amber and I share many things in common here, but I found a new notion that I need to investigate!
The subtitle of the book is “Creating ombré palettes“. Amber explains the use of gradients in quilts and the different ways they can be used. The section on color theory is easy to digest with her use of graphics and plenty of examples. Amber gives you the basics of creating an ombré color palette and teaches you how to apply that knowledge when selecting fabric for your quilts. This is the heart of the book and why I consider it such a useful addition to my quilting library.
Second section: the quilt projects
I love Amber’s quilt style; modern, geometric design inspired by the elements of nature. You don’t need to be a modern quilter to enjoy the quilt projects in this book. There’s something for everyone, especially if you love color. That’s the exciting part for me!
Quilts In Modern Color offers quilt projects that lend themselves to ombré or gradient color schemes. They range in size, skill level and design. A few have curves, some have minimal piecing and others have traditional components. They all will dazzle you with their use of color.
My project from the book
I was so excited to make one of the quilts from the book, but I knew it had to be one of the smaller projects (time crunch). I chose the Teton Pillow because I love the mountains, and this design was just perfect for my nature-loving soul!
My first task was to choose my color palette. I wanted to use my stash of Kaffe Fassett shot cottons. These are woven with two different colored threads for the warp and the weft. It produces a luminous color that is just glorious. After reading the section on color palettes, I found I had the perfect combination of blue-green fabric and red-orange fabric for a split complimentary color palette.
The instructions were easy to follow, and my color choices couldn’t have been more perfect. Instead of a pillow, I made mine into a wall hanging. It only took me two days to make, and I’m so happy with the results!
The quilting is a combination of diagonal lines with a walking foot and free motion quilting in the sky area. I used a hera marker to mark the straight lines, and two different colors of thread.
I’ve been using flanged binding for the last several quilts I’ve made. I love how it adds a pop of color – especially when I carry the border or background color to the edge. You can read about how to make a flanged binding here.
Giveaway
UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who participated.
C&T Publishing has generously offered to give away a digital copy of Quilts In Modern Color to one lucky reader! To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment telling me your favorite color to use in a quilt (or whatever else comes to mind). For me, I tend to use a lot of turquoise and blue (can you tell?). And rainbows are always a favorite, but that’s almost cheating. 😉
NOTE: To leave a comment, make sure to scroll down to the bottom of this blog post (not from my home page), and look for the section that says “Leave a Reply”. Please be sure that I can contact you immediately through your email. If I choose your name but cannot contact you, I will have to choose another winner.
Here are the giveaway rules:
- To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite color to use in a quilt.
- You must comment by 11:59 pm PST on Saturday, April 12, 2025.
- Giveaway is open to ALL.
- Winner will be chosen at random.
Due to the high volume of comments, I won’t be able to reply to you (unless there is a direct question), but I will read each and every one. Thank you in advance for your participation and for leaving a comment.
Book tour participants
You can check out the other participants of the Quilts in Modern Color blog hop at these links!
- Monday, March 31st: Suzy Quilts (IG: @suzyquilts)
- Tuesday, April 1st: The Crafty Quilter (IG: @thecraftyquilter)
- Wednesday, April 2nd: Sewspicious (IG: @sewspicious)
- Thursday, April 3rd: The Weekend Quilter (IG: @the.weekendquilter)
- Friday, April 4th: Broadcloth Studio (IG: @broadclothstudio)
- Saturday, April 5th: Riley Blake Designs (IG: @rileyblakedesigns)
- Sunday, April 6th: Toad and Sew (IG: @toadandsew)
- Monday, April 7th: Mija Handmade (IG: @mija.handmade)
- Tuesday, April 8th: XOXSEW (IG: @xoxsew)
- Wednesday, April 9th: Diary of a Quilter (IG: @diaryofaquilter)
- Thursday, April 10th: Urban Dwell Studio (IG: @urbandwellstudio)
I hope you enjoyed my review of Quilts In Modern Color. If you’ve struggled with choosing color for your quilt projects, this book will give you inspiration along with an understanding of color gradients. It will help you create a perfect ombré palette for your next quilt. There’s a beautiful variety of quilt patterns included in the book that are designed with that in mind!
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Love your Teton wallhanging. I would love to make that project from the book as well!
All the colors for me. But I do have yards of an ombré blue that is destined for a quilt for my son. Lovely book, thank you for the review.
I have just borrowed this book from my library. The quilts are amazing. I seem to always quilt with blues
My favorite color which appears in most of my projects is green, any shade of green!
Red is my favourite colour, but I love to use yellow in quilts as it challenges me to choose appropriate colours to match or contrast and on top of that it makes me happy as yellow is such a happy colour!
My favorite color to use in a quilt is black for backgrounds. I know, not what you were expecting because it’s not really a color. I chose black because it’s the most consistent color I use outside of using all rainbow colors. I love doing rainbow colors on black. Mainly because my kids can’t mess up the black like they do white, lol.
I really like the blue-green teal in quilts. This colour shifts in popularity, but now there are so many solid fabric choices, I can always have it available.
I love all blues and have many choices. If I need to hone in on some shades of blue, I love aqua (my sewing room is painted a shade of aqua!).
I’m always drawn to teal in a quilt… I love the teal shades you used in yours! Thanks for the chance to win!
Blue, there are so many wonderful shades of blue. And then I add purple or green and the loveliness warms my spirit.
I find myself using navy over and over! I would love to make a blue gradient fading from navy to sky.
Blue
Some kind of blue is my favorite color to use in a quilt.
Many cute ideas. Would love to win this book.
I tend to use blues & yellows in my quilts. What a wonderful book!
My favorite color to use in a quilt is grey. I feel like it just goes with so many other colors.
I love blue! I’m looking at my ladder of quilts and blue seems to make it into most of my quilts. Love the Teton mountain wall hanging-I think I need to make one.
I love the way your mountain quilt looks! I am still learning to fmq, and need more practice. Thanks for your review, this looks like a book that I would love. I always need blue of some kind in my quilts.
There are so many beautiful projects in this book! I love your mountain wall hanging! The mountains remind me of summer vacations growing up. My favorite color to quilt with is pink because it is such a happy color. Blue is a close second.
Hmmm. . . My favorite color? That is a hard one! I love almost any color — it kind of depends on several things — my mood — the design — what I want the creation to say! But I also often include black to set things off and give the object special definition! If I really have to pick, I guess it would be colors in the blue to teal range.
I’m with you! When I saw your finished project I knew that’s the one I would make too! A quick and exceedingly satisfying make.
My favorite colors are turquoise and teal blues, anything that makes me think of the ocean or a lake. If I see a pattern done in that colorway I love it right away I’m also deeply drawn to scrappy quilts made, of course, in my favorite turquoise and teal blues along with various greens, purples and pinks. I always use lots of white or creamy off white as backgrounds to make the colors pop.
I’d absolutely love a copy of this book!
My favorite color has always been blue with green being second but over the last year or so, I have been drawn to orange! Yes, I know, it’s hard for me to believe that too! Still like blue the best but I am currently working on an orange one that I really, really like.
My favorite color is royal blue, however my favorite combo is riyal blue & bright green.
I love using shades of grey. It really makes colors pop!
I love using slightly softened jewel tones and often use a light grey for my background color over whites.
I love shades of red and pink.
Deep blue is my latest favorite color to use in quilts. It coordinates well with brights.
I tend to brights – and then a black or navy to set them off . I also seem to have a lot of Fall colours in my stash – orange seems to fit in a lot of places – Fun!
I tend to brights – and then a black or navy to set them off . I also seem to have a lot of Fall colours in my stash – orange seems to fit in a lot of places – Fun! Thank you for all of your input for your readers. I have used many of your patterns and enjoyed this book review .
I tend to use earth tones mostly. I’m drawn to teal/turquoise as well.
It depends on the time of year. I mostly like green but am moving to some soft pastels. And also trying to get out of my comfort zone and look at purples.
Blues are my favorite. Followed by other jewel tones.
I am always drawn to warm colors, and especially to magenta or spicy orange!
I am with you. Turquoise and blue.
I LOVE shades of blue.
I like shades of pink.
My goto’s are usually blues or teals. Thanks for the draw. This looks like an awesome book
These quilts are beautiful! My favorite color to use is green.
I’m partial to cool colors — all shades of blue, green and purple
I love purples right now. The fill my soul.
All shades of pink! Two little girls at home will have an affect on you!
I love blues and yellows! And greens. I’m a big fan of scrappy quilts!
Greens and blues are my favorite colors to use.
Blues are my go-to colors! I have been hooked on chambray for a while now and it always looks great!
I Really love to start a quilting project, since I hare learn a lot about quilting n buy many fabric …. Having your book copy will be a huge bonus that can support n boost my upcomming quilting project.
I love all shades of blues in quilts. That is probably why I have more fabric in that shade in my stash.
Green is my favorite color, but I have been trying to make quilts in different colors.
Beautiful quilt ! I love Turquoise currently!
I love using blues and turquoise too . Your mini is gorgeous
I never realized it until a friend pointed out that I almost always include purple in my quilts. I’m OK with that! Love the ombre ideas in this book!
My favorite colors tend to be in the burgundy hues. Love the Teton pillow.
I love using reds, especially with white and blacks. This book looks like a ton of fun!
Green is my favorite color. But I also like to use blues in my quilts.
Hi, Julie,
First of all, thanks for your posts…so fun and informative. And yes, I tend to quilt with blue colorways, but lately I’ve moved into the hot pinks and oranges. So much fun!
I’ve been waiting for a book like this! My fave color in quilts is yellow! After working in paints, then many years quilting. Going thru several phases , just love all brights and uplifting colors!
You and I love the same color scheme: blues, and my favorite is turquoise! I love nature, the outdoors, especially being in the mountains. Your wallhanging is gorgeous and The Tetons is the pattern I gravitated toward before reading your article. That was a nice way to start my day.
My favorite color(s) would tend to be reds/pinks/purples. Looking at my quilts, they all seem to contain those colors.
I tend to favor shades of aqua/turquoise/blue for quilts but I also love a bit of yellow. To me it makes things look cheerful. Love your version of the Teton project!
My favorite color(s) to use are blues, pinks and greens, and aqua. Love your project.
Love to quilt with any shade of blue. I didn’t think I was a blue person but for some reason I gravitated towards blue all of the time.
My favourite colours to use in a quilt is the teal range.
Red. Every quilt needs at least a bit of red. The best quilts have lots of it!
I love teal with a dusty mauve or an almost orange on a black background.
My favorite colors are blues and greens. Thank you for entering me in the giveaway away.
Purple is my favorite color to use in a quilt.
Really like the highlights you have pulled out in your post. I’m especially interested in the wall hanging you pulled out of the mountains. Thanks for pointing us toward this resource, Julie!
PS: favorite color depends on the season. Right now it’s a variety of greens!
Always BLUE!
My favorite to use in a quilt is blue, any shade. I am very interested in making a ombré quilt and this book will provide the guidance I am looking for. Thank you for the give away.
Blues!!!
My favorite color to put in a quilt is blue — preferably batik.
The color I am most drawn to is red. I started quilting in the days of Freddy Moran who thought of red as a neutral.
Recently I have been taken by sage green shades and navy blues.
sky blue and grass green are my favorite colors to use
I also love the bluegreen palette and use a lot of turquoise. There is no way to include it in every quilt, but if I have a choice I am definitely always drawn to it.
I love all of the colors in the ocean! From the darkest blues, to clean fresh turqoise and variations of greens. On the Otter side, I have come to like also warm orange and pale pinks.
Great review! Blue is my favorite color and used the most in my quilts.
I love mauve and greens in quilts.
My favorite color is blue or anything in the blue family so lots of choices!
I love quilts with a pop of red in them. Bright and cheerful and a feeling of happiness!
Your review tells me I’d love to own this book! As much as I love all shades of purple, I tend to use pink fabrics a lot in my sewing.
I love the cool colors. agua, turquoise, green and blue
Thank you for your detailed review! This book sounds like a great exploration of color in quilts.
My favorite color to use in quilts, I’m rather surprised to find, is red! I was about to say yellows, till I actually looked at photos of quilts I’ve made over the years. Lots of red, in various prints and hues and combinations. Cheery, versatile, wide ranging in shades and moods, depending on what it is combined with.
My favorite colors are vibrant, bold pinks and purples. I tend to lean that way.
I guess it just depends on who I’m making the quilt for and, of course, the theme.
I am so very very interested in this ombré effect though. Always have been. Just haven’t had time to make one or even lay one out yet. Right now I’ve moved in with my 102 (almost 103) year ‘young’ dad to care for him 24/7. He just had a recent diagnosis of a very rare cancer.
Hi Julie,my favourite color is Blue. I’m always happy when I see you in my In Box. Have a great day.
Sharon
This book sounds very interesting! I have a fat quarter bundle of Kona solids that I’ve been saving since 2017 with no idea of what to make with it. This book may just have the project that I need! My favourite colour to use in a quilt is blue. Any shade, hue or tone pretty much works somewhere.
BLUE !
My favorite color changes with my mood so right now it’s blue, all variations. That book looks so interesting. Your pillow is beautiful.
As a new quilter, I’m just beginning to learn my favorites. Softer palettes end to speak to me more than brighter ones, and I’m learning that the backgtoubd color doesn’t have to be white.
Purples and blues are the colors I use the most with green as an accent color. Really all cool colors.
My favorite color for a quilt is orange; a little orange adds that pop of color and I just love to look at it.
I love using all colors….depending on the pattern. Thanks!
Green is my favorite color. The book looks very interesting since color is a challenge for me.
My favorite colors are usually blue and green but I am learning that other colors can take center stage and make the end result more beautiful!
I’m currently loving a range of sea glass colors ranging from greens thru teals into blues.
Blue. Love the book.
I enjoy your blog especially your tutorials. (I use your machine binding tutorial all.the.time!
My favorite color is purple
I love, love earth tones, and especially the oranges in autumn.
Grace
I like to use earthy tones so I use a lot of brown.
Favorite is absolutely blues ! From the lightest through the range to aquas and teals.
I seem to use a lot of blue and teal. I look back at my quilts and those colors are everywhere.
I love batiks. I tend to like greens. But I do love turquoise and purples!
My favorite color has been teals lately. But I’ve noticed I’m using more purples too! I love all color and my latest quilt was a storm at sea in rainbow colors that I’m calling Celebration at Sea.
Most of my quilts contain blue fabric, and the blue is usually paired with green, white, and/or yellow.
Yellow is one of my favorite colors to use. It’s such a happy color. Your wall hanging is so pretty!
I love shades of aqua.
Beautiful wall hanging, Julie. My favourite colour is green – any shade but mostly woodsy, warm greens. Thanks.
I’ve made several blue and white or variations of white quilts! I also like black and tan quilts, though I haven’t made one yet. Your “Teton Pillow ” quilt is lovely.
This looks like a very interesting book on color. Our quilt guild program last month was all about gradients and how to use them, so a great tie-in! I use all manner or brights in my quilts, and when sewing for my grand-daughter, a LOT of orange, which is her favorite color.
My favorite color to use is blue. All values of blue!
I agree that it is hard to choose just one color. But I definitely tend to use more purples in my creations. And of course it is my favorite, right?? LOL!!!
Favorite color to sneak into my quilts is yellow – any shade makes me happy.
Julie,
It’s hard to pick one color as I love them all in a softer palette. So if I had to pick one I would choose something in the cream/soft brown/taupe range in the background to soften all the rest of the colors in the quilt. Your wall hanging is lovely.
I need to have some shade of purple in just about every quilt I make, but I love most all the colors!
I tend to be partial to Autumn colours. Browns with golds and rusts remind me of crisp fall days when the leaves start to change and burst into beautiful combinations of colours. You’re past the heat of summer and aren’t even thinking of winter ice and snow. It’s the perfect season.
purple and gray
When I look at my quilts, I almost always find teal! Definitely one of my favorites.
I am a fan of shades of turquoise.
I try to use yellow in all my quilts. It is such an uplifting color.
Purple is the best to add a pop of brightness to a quilt.
My favorite color to quilt with is a dusty mauve! It makes the most adorable baby quilt. I hope I win this book. The patterns look great.
My favorite color to quilt with is a dusty mauve! It makes the most adorable baby quilt.
Green is my favorite color, and I use it in just about every quilt or item I make.